Air conditioned building



Oct. 29, 1940. E. c. GLEDHILL AIR CONDITIONED VBUILDING Filed Jan. 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l z. c. Veda/z.

Oct. 29, 1940.

E. c. GLEDHILL AIR CONDITIONED BUILDING Filed Jan. 15. 1938 2 Sheets$heet 2 Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNlTED STATES AIR CONDITIONED BUILDING Edward C. Gledhill, Galion,0hio, assignor to The Gledhill Road Machinery Company, Galion, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 15, 1938, Serial No. 185,232

2 Claims. (Q1. 98-32).

This invention relates to an improved air conditioned building.

It is well known that along the highways there arelocated so-called tourist camps which provide refuge for motorists driving long distances and desiring to stop overnight at a minimum of expense. In many of these tourist camps will be found individual cabins or small buildings which are fitted out with bedding and occasionally sanitary facilities, and these cabins provide the necessary shelter and privacy for motorists. Up'to the present time, however, these cabins or buildings are of necessity immovable structures and ones wherein no provision for air circulation is made. Inasmuch as the roofs of cabins of this type are necessarily low, the interiors of the cabins become excessively warm in hot weather for the reason that no adequate air circulating means is provided.

One object of my invention is, therefore, to provide an air conditioned building which will embody means for permitting uniform circulation of fresh. air therein irrespective-of the temperature exteriorly of the building.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air. conditioned building of such construction that heat itself, exteriorly of the building, .will cause the circulationof cool air within the build- A further object of the invention is to provide a building of this nature wherein means are present for regulating. the circulation of air within the building so that the temperature within said building may be controlled to a considerable degree.

As a still further object, the invention seeks to provide an air conditioned building which may be readily transported from-place to place, that is to say, from one tourist camp to another, and which will be of such rigid construction that damage or breakage during transportation will not take place.

As another object, the invention seeks to provide an air conditioned building which may be manufactured cheaply in quantity to retail at a relatively low price and which will be attractive in appearance and highly eflicient in use.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will render themselves apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view showing one of my improved air conditioned buildings as it would appear ready for use.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the building.

line 4-4 of Figure 3.

ventional opening and closing means.

rain or the likein bad weather. -mounted in'the wall I and permits of entry to "Figure 3'isa vertical sectional view of my improved air conditioned building.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View on the .In the drawings it will be seen that like numer- *5 als of reference designate like parts throughout the views. In'said drawings, the numeral I indicates in general the body of my improved air conditioned building.- As best shown in Figures 1 and 4, thebody I is preferably substantially square in horizontal section and is tapered toward its upper end. The body I includes a floor 2, a ceiling 3, and side walls, 4, 5, 6 and l. The entire building is preferably formed of sheet metal, I the Walls being formedof sheet metal plates riv- 1'5 eted together at their. edges.

The floor 2 is provided, near the corner thereof defined by the meeting of walls 4 and 'L withan air admitting register 8 while the ceiling 3, is

formed, directly above. the center of the floor, with an exhaust opening 9. Mounted on the upper surface of the ceiling is an air flue I0.in which is mounted a valve or damper I l for controlling the flow of air from within the body I. Thedamper H is conveniently shifted by means of a pull'rod l2 connected with a. lever I3 on the damper, said pull rod extending within the building for convenient manual engagement.

The register 8 is preferably provided with conbe seenat I4 in Figures 1 and 3, windows are provided in .the side walls of the body I, near their upper corresponding ends, and are preferably closed by screens l5. When desired, suitable closures for the exteriors of the windows 14 may be employed, this permitting complete closing of the windows'for the purpose of preventing entry of A door It is the interior of the building. Thedoor is adapted tobe locked from the inside so that interference with the privacy of the occupants within the building can be effectually prevented.

Mounted on the ceiling 3 is a ventilating cowl indicated generally at IT. The cowl is supported 1 on the ceiling in spaced relation thereto by means of brackets 18 which are disposed at each corner of the building. 1 The cowl includes a'relatively -large lower member I9 which is substantially rec- 'tangular in shape and is upwardly tapered -and1.

As may 30 seen in Figures 1 and 2, the lower section [9 is formed of substantially triangular sheet metal plates which have their corresponding edges crimped together, as shown at 22 and which have their free outer edges turned upward as shown at 22b to define rain spouts for preventing the flow of rain water indiscriminately against the walls.

The entire building is preferably made of a suitable gauge of sheet metal.

Although the interior appointments of my improved building may be varied to suit individual taste, conventionally the building will include a bed 23, a basin 24 and a closet 25. The basin 24 is, of course, quite small, as it is necessary that space be used to best advantage. In order that a supply of water may be provided for the basin" without the necessity of filling it by hand, a tank 26 is removably mounted on the: wall 6. The tank is provided with a faucet 21 which is introduced into theinterior of the building I through a suitable opening 28. It will be understood that the tank may be displaced for refilling and then replaced without the need of entering the building. Thus, the caretaker of a tourist camp or the like, where the building comprising the subject matter of my invention is installed, may place a tank of hot water on the wall 6, with the faucet 21 extending through the wall to above the basin, when needed. That is to say, when the building is occupied.

As shown at 50, a compartment is provided beneath the hot water tank and this compartment is adapted to receive a heating lamp such as shown at 5|. The lamp may be of the electric resistance variety or may be of the oil consuming type. The lamp will, of course, serve to heat the water in the tank.

The closet 25 is normally adapted to be closed from view by means of a sliding door 29 which, when it is desired to use the closet, may be shifted upwardly for permitting ready access tothe compartment 30 in which the closet 25 is mounted.

.A door 3| in the adjacent wall of the building permits removal of the contents of the closet when necessary and also without disturbing the occupants of the building.

In use, the building is transported by any suitable conveyance to a tourist camp or other desired location. It is then placed in operative position simply by placing a block 32 under each cor- -ner of the building. It is necessary that the building be thus spaced from the ground for per- -mitting a flow of air to enter the building through the register 8, said register being normally in open position so that the air flow will enter beneath the 1 building and pass upwardly through said register into the interior thereof. The device is, of course,

particularly adapted for use in hot weather.

'It has been found in actual use that the interior of the building may be kept at a comfortable temperature in the hottest weather even though the building may be placed directly in the sun.

The fact that the building is comfortable in the hottest weather is due to the rising of heat waves along the walls 4, 5, 6 and I of the building. As these waves rise exteriorly of the walls, they are deflected inwardly by the under surface of the lower section I9 of the cowl l1. After such deflection, the waves pass above the ceiling and above ing in spaced relation to the air flue, and a the open upper end of the flue l0 and through the opening 20 in the section l9. As the heat waves pass above the opening in the flue, a suction is created in the flue for drawing air from within the body upwardly through said flue, 5 thence through the opening 20 and thence outwardly past the brackets 22 and between the space defined between the upper section 2| and the lower section I9 of the cowl. The constant rising of heated air along the exterior of the walls of the building will create a constant suction so that air will be continuously drawn from within the building. Inasmuch as the air near the ground is of considerable lower temperature, particularly beneath the building Where it is protected from the sun, said cooler air will be drawn into the building through the register 8 to displace the air passing outwardly through the flue l0, thereby maintaining the interior of the building cool and comfortable irrespective of the temperature exteriorly of the building. If it should be desired to maintain the temperature of the interior of the building more nearly approaching that of the exterior thereof, it is only necessary to close-the damper ll, whereupon the outward flow of air from the building will be interrupted and the air flow through the register accordingly reduced.

The building is of suflicient size to accommodate one or two persons with maximum comfort although it should be understood that it may be of any desired size and shape. It is thought the construction and operation of my improved air conditioned building will now be readily understood.

Having thus described the invention, what I claimist l. A building of the class described including a body spaced above a surface and having inwardly inclined side walls and a floor, said floor having an opening therein, a ceiling closing the body at its upper end and having an opening, an air flue mounted on the ceiling, a ventilating cowl, means mounting the ventilating cowl on the ceildamper mounted in the air flue, said ventilating cowl and air flue being adapted for directing heat waves rising on the outside of the side walls above the flue and through the cowl whereby suction will be created in the flue for creating a flow of .50

air from beneath the building through the first mentioned opening to circulate within the building and therefrom through the flue, said damper controlling the flow of circulating air.

2. In a building of the class described, a body 55 having tapered walls, a floor closing the body at its lower end and having an opening, a register in the opening, means mounting the body above a supporting surface, a ceiling closing the body at its upper end and having an opening, an air flue carried on the ceiling about the opening, and a ventilating cowl carried by the body above the air flue, said ventilating'cowl being adapted to direct a flow of air rising on the outer surfaces of the tapered walls past the end of the air flue whereby a suction will be created for drawing air admitted into the building through the register from the body and thereby create air circulation within the body.

EDWARD C. GLEDHILL. ,70 

